Friday, February 27, 2015

Uproxx: No one can deny how successful Fox’s Empire has become. The show’s phenomenal ratings seem to grow exponentially with each new episode, and several pertinent reasons — including a lack of competition and an innovative soundtrack — have been cited. Star Terrence Howard thinks the show’s willingness to push the envelope is another factor, and he emphasized his belief in an interview with Entertainment Weekly:Howard admits he’s always striving for the show to remain as realistic as possible. “If we start getting silly, if we start playing to people’s fancies, then we don’t deserve to be where we are,” says Howard of the show’s success. “It’s a big pressure because I want to be a truth-sayer. I want to raise the bar. I want to get rid of this f—ed up word called PC. I think it’s a gate for bigotry because as long as you’re politically correct you can say anything you want but feel some way different.”Realism is key to the show’s success, according to Howard. Yet the actor suggests “PC” — or political correctness — is getting in the way of Empire and other television shows trying to tell riveting stories. (He does, after all, play a bigoted father to a homosexual son in the series.) With this in mind, Howard wants to push the limits even further:“I’m mad that we don’t say n— in the show,” he admits. “Why is TV showing something different from the reality of the world? Why is there a thing called censorship that stop people from hearing everyday talk? We use n— every day. It’s become part of a conversation — why aren’t we using it in the show?”For a quick historical review of television censorship, let’s revisit George Carlin’s classic “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” bit. It doesn’t cover Howard’s word of choice, but it should give you a sense of what he’s talking about.

Daily Mail- Police in Russia are tracking a gang – apparently including a doctor – who drugged a TV soap actor and removed his testicles. Dmitry Nikolaev, 30, had a drink with a ‘young blonde woman’ who approached him at a bar after he finished a performance at a small Moscow theatre. Flirting with him, she invited him to a sauna, and though he was married, he agreed to go with her. ’They kissed and had some more beer and after that the actor remembers nothing,’ said a police source. He woke up next day at a bus stop, feeling acute pain, and with blood on his trousers. Rushed to hospital, he was told that his testicles had been removed and that ‘it was done like proper surgery by someone with a medical education’. The operation was conducted in a ‘skillful way’, said police, who believe his beer was spiked by an unknown drug.

NFL: The Cowboys have balked at handing Dez Bryant a long-term contract extension with significant financial guarantees, in part because of their lack of off-the-field trust in the Pro Bowl receiver. With no new negotiations scheduled between Dallas and Bryant's agents, Tom Condon and Kim Miale of Roc Nation, the franchise tag is almost a certainty.In November during an appearance on NFL GameDay Morning, I reported on six separate incidents since 2011 of police being called to Bryant's home in DeSoto, Texas. None of the incidents I described, based on reporting using police records, resulted in any arrests, but they are emblematic of why the Cowboys are concerned about Bryant's behavior and some of the people he has associated with.I have learned via another open-records request that in mid-2011 there was an additional incident involving Bryant. A report filed by the Lancaster (Texas) Police Department described the response by an officer to "an unknown disturbance" in a Walmart parking lot during the early morning of July 11. Vehicles registered to Bryant were at the scene in the parking lot, and Bryant later arrived in another car, when he was spoken to by a Lancaster PD officer. Upon further investigation, "it was determined that there was no offense" and "all parties were advised they were free to go."Cowboys officials have been aware of this incident for some time.Although Bryant is clearly a large part of Dallas' offense and a key to the team's continued progress, the pattern of off-the-field issues is one reason the Cowboys haven't improved their long-term extension offer of $114 million over 10 years with a $20 million guarantee, an average of $10 million a year during the initial six years and a signing bonus of just $5 million.

VIA: This year, the Nike LeBronold Palmer offerings will become a retail reality thanks to this Nike LeBron 12 Low.The pair, which is poised to be the first for the 12 Low, is a breath of fresh air as far as Low LeBrons thanks to its abandoning of that same tooling that's been used on Low pairs for so many years. Instead, the shoe has Nike's new hex-Zoom kit on bottom as well as some Visible Air on the back. The sneaker slides a cool logo, referencing the Arnold Palmer drink, on the back-end to cement the connection.The release date for the LeBronold Palmer LeBron 12 Lows is set for Sunday, March 1 by Foot Locker.Nike LeBron 12 Low "LeBronold Palmer"Release Date: 03/01/15Style #: 776652-383Price: $200

VIA: by Brendan DunneNike wants to build a 31,500 square foot retail store in Miami, complete with rooftop amenities like a track and a basketball court.Curbed reports that the space, designed by Touzet Studio, will feature two levels of shopping with 17 foot high ceilings and a facade of mesh embedded with LED lights. It's unclear exactly what the rooftop amenities would be used for, but it's not hard to imagine Nike taking advantage of the space for Nike+ events, product trialing, and the like. This comes as the brand is increasingly focused on unique sneaker retail experiences to set it apart from the competition.Before this massive Nike store in Miami becomes a reality, the company needs approval from the Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board. The board will hear a proposal for the store on Tuesday, March 10.

The Miami Herald:Heat power forward Chris Bosh was admitted to a Miami-area hospital Thursday to undergo testing, according to the team.Bosh was “under the weather” on Wednesday when he reported to practice, according to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, and team trainers sent Bosh to see a doctor. He did not attend practice Thursday and was instead admitted to the hospital.Initial tests on Bosh, 30, were inconclusive, according to a team spokesman. An independent source confirmed for the Miami Herald that the initial tests were on Bosh’s lungs.Bosh, a 10-time All-Star, ranks 13th in the NBA in scoring at 21.1 points per game and also is averaging 7.0 rebounds. Bosh, 30, is the Heat’s highest-paid player after signing a five-year, $118 million contract last July.While in New York over the weekend for the All-Star Game, Bosh complained of pain in his side near his rib cage. He then traveled to Haiti during Carnival with his wife, Adrienne, and Dwyane Wade and Wade’s wife, actress Gabrielle Union.Asked on Thursday after practice whether Bosh was sick in Haiti, Wade said, “I don’t know if he was sick. I’m not a doctor. I just know he wasn’t feeling good. He wasn’t coughing or throwing up, but he just wasn’t feeling good. So I don’t know when it happened. It could have happened in New York.”Although Bosh noted discomfort in his side last Friday, he appeared healthy. On Saturday, he won the All-Star Shooting Stars competition at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, and on Sunday, Bosh played 11 minutes in the All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden.News of Bosh’s condition muted a joyous day for the Heat, which landed a star point guard in a trade earlier in the afternoon. Heat president Pat Riley and general manager Andy Elisburg engineered a three-team trade that sent Phoenix point guard Goran Dragic to the Heat. Selected to the All-NBA third team last season, Dragic is expected to help the Heat make the playoffs this season and further rebuild the team after LeBron James left for Cleveland last summer.The Heat left for a road trip in New York on Thursday. The team plays the New York Knicks on Friday at Madison Square Garden.Although Spoelstra said that Bosh was “under the weather” on Thursday, the team’s coach would not elaborate on Bosh’s symptoms. Bosh missed eight games earlier this season with an injured calf.Bosh has a guaranteed contract with the Heat through the 2018-19 season. The full amount of his contract is $118,705,300, which currently is the largest guaranteed deal in the NBA.

ESPN-The Phoenix Suns agreed to trade Goran Dragic to the Miami Heat, sources told ESPN.com's Marc Stein on Thursday.The Suns also sent Dragic's brother, Zoran, to Miami in the deal. In return, Phoenix received Danny Granger, Justin Hamilton and two first-round picks from the Heat. It's not yet known whether there are other pieces involved in the package.Dragic had been on the trading block this week because he wasn't happy with his role in Phoenix's crowded backcourt. He made it clear that he wouldn't re-sign with the Suns when he becomes a free agent after this season."I don't trust them anymore," Dragic said after the Suns practiced Wednesday.The 28-year-old guard's points and assists are down considerably from last season, when he was third-team All-NBA. He said he doesn't like his role of "standing in the corner" and wants to go to a team where he can "be a point guard, like in the past I was my whole life.""To be a point guard, to run the team and have the ball in my hands and try to make plays for others," Dragic said. "That's who I am."He often found himself playing the off guard or on the wing in deference to the Suns' other point guards, Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas. The Suns traded Thomas to the Celtics in another deadline deal Thursday.Sometimes Dragic, Bledsoe and Thomas were on the court together for Phoenix."Last year was great. This year it's different," Dragic said. "... Standing in the corner, it's not my game."Dragic's agent, Bill Duffy, told the Suns on Tuesday that there was nothing they could do to keep his client with the team.In a side deal, the Heat traded backup point guard Norris Cole to the New Orleans Pelicans for veteran swingman John Salmons. That deal gave the Pelicans a fill-in for the injured Jrue Holiday and the Heat some depth. Both players will be free agents at the end of the season.